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Best Ice-Cream in East Lothian

Best Ice-Cream in East Lothian

28th July 2025

East Lothian's coastline calls out for long, slow walks along the waterfront, watching the families play in the sand, and cold, delicious ice-creams.

It was rich, decadent ice-cream, with lingering sweet flavours that tingled on the tongue.

In a recent trip to East Lothian, my family made the decision to test out the local ice-creams, and here are our findings.

My family include two adults, with a lifetime of love for ice-cream, accompanied by a ten year old and a twelve year old, who have spent a significant proportion of this lives wanting or eating ice-cream.

This was the ultimate challenge.

The best ice-creams in East Lothian

Why East Lothian means ice-cream

There’s something about East Lothian that practically demands an ice-cream in hand.

Maybe it's the sea air that seems to heighten your appetite.

Maybe it’s the way the sun hits the harbours in North Berwick or Dunbar that makes cold, sweet treats feel essential.

Or maybe it’s simply tradition, beach days and ice-cream go hand-in-hand in this part of Scotland.

Whatever the reason, East Lothian delivers when it comes to variety, quality, and charm.

Many of the ice-cream shops here use locally sourced dairy, and a few even make their ice-cream fresh on-site.

Whether you’re wandering through the colourful streets of North Berwick or pausing after a bracing cliff-top walk, a scoop (or two) is never far away.

Where to buy ice-cream

Icecream in North Berwick:

This seaside town is bursting with charm, and it's arguably the epicentre of East Lothian’s ice-cream scene.

Alandas Gelato became a highlight, not just for the wide range of flavours, but also for the quality.

Their sorbet was a standout: tart, refreshing, and intensely fruity. Their classic vanilla was a winner for both kids and adults, rich and creamy with real depth.

We took our ice-cream on a stroll down to the North Berwick tidal pool, where the kids splashed in the calmer waters of the pool, and we admired from the golden sands nearby.

Next to North Berwick Harbour and North Berwick tidal pool is the classic ice-cream van. After we'd enjoyed the one-hour round boat trip to view the wildlife on the Bass Rock, ice-cream was essential.

Everyone knows what to expect with a whippy ice-cream in a cone, and this was no exception. It was a classic, creamy experience, ending with the asmr crunch of the simple cone.

Ice-cream in Dirleton

Amalfi Ice Cream & Coffee Parlour is a popular choice for coffees and ice-creams in this small village.

There is seating inside and out, perfect for enjoying ice-creams throughout the best of Scottish weathers.

Sadly on the day we visited, it was closed due to unforeseen circumstances, so we'll return again next time.

Our favourite ice-cream

Ice-cream in Gullane

We discovered Imma's Gelato on the last day of our holiday, as we were making our way home. With two hot, slightly grumpy children in the car, we made a pitstop in the small town of Gullane, and saw Imma's Gelato.

The kids opted for double cones of Cherry Ripple ice-cream and Oreo ice-cream in thick, crunchy sugar cones, whereas the adults opted for hazelenut and pistacio ice-cream. It was rich, decadent ice-cream, with lingering sweet flavours that tingled on the tongue.

The shop is on a quiet road opposite the ruins and near to Luffness Golf Club, with 3 stools by the window to enjoy your treat.

Imm'as Gelato scored 10/10 by us all.

East Lothian offers a range of ice-creams in a number of the coastal towns, for both the young and young at heart to enjoy on your next visit.